Ball point ink eradicator and method



United States Patent 3,160,468 BALL POINT TNK ERADHJATGR AND METHGD Gerald I. Burstein, 9 Cottage Terrace, Livingston, N3. N0 Drawing. Filed .yan. 22, 196%, Ser. No. 3,990 1L2 Claims. (Cl. 8-162) This invention relates to ink eradicators and, moreparticularly, to those for removing from paper ink of the ball pen type. My eradicator will not only act on inks of ball point pens, of which I have knowledge, but also on conventional inks. It is especiallyadapted for chemically removing ink from paper and it will not appreciably damage the latter.

An object of my invention is to remove inks of the ball pen type, that is, those which, contrary to ordinary inks, contain greasy material as well as color and-other matter, by acidulating, dissolving the greasy matter, and bleaching the remainder, with blotting'between applications as well a final blotting.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a method for removing ink as above described, in which the intermediate ingredient may be used in combination with the first or the third ingredient, thereby reducing the process from three to two steps. a

A further object of my invention is to provide a mixture of ingredients which may be used upon ink as in the form of writing on paper after acidulation, even when the ink is of the ball pen type, comprising a mixture of a grease solvent material and a bleach.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a mixture of ingredients which may be used uponink as be understood that the description is for purpose of illustration and does not define the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claims.

Eradicators of inks of the ordinary types; that is, those containing no grease, rosin or material having greasy characteristics, may be readily removed upon a single application of a conventional bleaching ink eradicator. However, ink used for pens of the ball point type contains materials having greasy characteristics; that is, there may be in the ink oil, rosin and/or other materials of this kind which inhibit the bleaching action on the coloring material and, therefore, have to be removed before the bleach will take proper efiect.

In accordance with my invention, I employ an acid, a solvent and a bleach. These may be employed in the order named, with intermediate blotting, as liquids and as a three-step process. However, the solvent is compatible with the acid and is also compatible with the bleach, so it may be combined with one and/ or the other to allow for eradication as a two-step process; that is, applying a mixture'of an acid and a solvent, then, after blotting, a mixture of a solvent and a bleach, or if a solvent was used with the acid,'only a bleach need be used, and then blotting. If the bleach does not entirely remove the color, then it may be necessary to reapply and blot again.

In practicing my process, I may use ingredients as follows:

As the first ingredient, I prefer an acid selected from the group consisting of ortho-phosphoric, H PO desirably about 10% by weight in aqueous solution, citric and acetic, the-latter two in strength comparable to that 01': the ortho-phosphoric acid. However, I do not wish to be limited to these acids, the specification for the acid being that it is weak enough that it will not appreciably damage the paper, or other material from which the ink is to be eradicated, while strong enough to prepare the ink for being subsequently bleached by the third ingredient. The proportion of the acid to water may, therefore, be varied over a wide range.

As the second ingredient, I choose a solvent which dilutes oil such as one selected from the group consisting or" kerosene, ethylene glycol, turpentine, a liquid detergent, a volatile petroleum distillate, naphtha and liquid solvent for plastics. The solvent is to dilute greasy materials, including resinous materials. Thus by the term grease solvent I mean one suitable for diluting both greasy, resinous and similar materials.

As the third ingredient, I select one of the hypochlorites such as sodium hypochlorite, or other material which evolves chlorine when acidulated. All of the three ingredients are to be in liquid form, the ortho-phosphoric acid being desirably in a range from about .5 to 30% by weight in aqueous solution, and the other acids of comparable strength. The kerosene, if used, may be alone or mixed with one of the detergents above-neutioned in aqueous solution. The sodium hypochlorite, if used, is desirably about 6%% by weight of NaClO in aqueous solution, or in the range from about 3% to 12%.

Examp 1 As a three-step process, I may first apply the acid, then blot, then apply the solvent and blot, then apply the bleach and finally blot. All of the three materials referred to are to be in liquid form. With some inks it may be found necessary to reapply the bleach and blot again.

Example 2 In a two-step process the solvent may be mixed with the acid and used in a first step, as follows:

Apply acid and solvent solution mixture, blot, apply bleach and finally blot.

Example 3 In another two-step process, the solvent may be mixed with the bleach and used in a second step in a process in which; I apply the acid, blot, apply the solvent and bleach mixture and finally blot. 7

Example 4 Iii-another two-step process, I may first apply a mixture of acid and solvent, blot, then apply a mixture of solvent and bleach, and then finally blot.

Example 5 Example 6 I may first apply the about 10% ortho-phosphoric acid solution, above referred to, blot, then apply a mixture of kerosene and one of the detergents before-mentioned, such as Lestoil, blotting thereafter, then apply the about 5.25% by weight solution of sodium hypochlorite in water and finally blot.

Example 7 Apply a solution of about 10% by weight of orthophosphoric acid and about .7% by weight of orthobenzyl-parachlorophenol in Water, blot, then apply Les- =3 toil, blot, then apply an about 5.25% by weight solution of sodium hypochlorite in water and finally blot.

Example 8 As a two-step specific process under the generic process of Example 2, I may first apply acetic acid, as in the form of ordinary household vinegar, to act as both an acid and a solvent, blot, apply a bleach such as the 5.25% solution of sodium hypochlorite, before referred to, and finally blot.

Having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will have no difiiculty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts and their relative compounding in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Material for eradicating ball point ink from paper consisting of the following three ingredients; an acid which will not appreciably harm the paper, a grease solvent and a bleach, all in liquid form, the bleach for the purpose being applicable subsequent to the acid.

2. A composition of matter suitable for eradicating ball point ink from paper comprising a first ingredient consisting of an acid which will not appreciably harm the paper, a grease solvent as a second ingredient, and a third ingredient selected from the group consisting of a 3% to 12% aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite and other reagents which will emit chlorine when acidulated.

3. A composition of matter suitable for eradicating ball point ink from paper comprising a first ingredient consisting of an acid which will not appreciably harm the paper, a second ingredient consisting of kerosene, and a third ingredient consisting of a 3% to 12% aqueous solution of a chlorine-evolving bleach.

4. A composition of matter suitable for eradicating ball point ink from paper comprising a first ingredient consisting of an acid which will not appreciably harm the paper, a second ingredient consisting of kerosene, and a third ingredient consisting of a 3% to 12% aqueous solu tion of a hypochlorite.

5. A composition of matter suitable for eradicating ball point ink from paper comprising a first ingredient consisting of an acid which will not appreciably harm the paper, a second ingredient consisting of kerosene, and a third ingredient consisting of a 5.25% aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite.

6. A composition of matter suitable for eradicating ball point ink comprising a first ingredient consisting of about phosphoric acid in water, a second ingredient consisting of kerosene, and a third ingredient consisting of about 5.25% by weight of sodium hypochlorite in water.

7. A composition of matter suitable for conditioning ball point ink on paper and to be bleached during the operation of eradication, consisting of a mixture of about 10% by weight of orthophosphoric acid in water and a petroleum distillate.

8. A composition of matter suitable for conditioning ball point ink on paper and to be bleached during the operation of eradication, consisting of a mixture of a 10% aqueous solution of orthophosphoric acid and kerosene.

9. The method of eradicating ball point ink on a base comprising acidulating the ink-carrying base without appreciable harm, applying a grease solvent and applying a liquid bleach which evolves chlorine when acidulated, with intermediate and final blotting.

10. The method of eradicating ball point ink in the form of writing on paper comprising applying a first ingredient which consists of a liquid selected from weak acids and mixtures thereof, blotting, applying a second ingredient which consists of a liquid bleach selected from the group consisting of materials which evolve chlorine upon acidulating, one of said ingredients also containing a grease solvent, and finally blotting.

11. The method of eradicating ball point ink in the form of writing on paper in sheet form comprising the steps of applying an acid to said ink, said acid being selected from the group consisting of about 10% by weight of orthophosphoric acid in Water, citric and acetic of comparable strength, applying a grease solvent, and applying a liquid bleach which evolves chlorine when aciduiated, the application of the third ingredient being spaced from that of the first, with blotting between said applications and after the last application.

12. The method of eradicating ball point ink comprising applying an acid selected from the group consisting of about 10% orthophosphoric in water, citric and acetic of comparable strength, blotting, applying a grease solvent, blotting, applying a bleach selected from the group consisting of sodium hypochlorite and other materials which evolve chlorine when acidulated, and blotting. Y

Reterences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,226,735 Wright May 22, 1917 2,408,155 Thornbury Sept. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 720,616 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Industrial Solvents, Ibert Mellan, 2nd Edition, 1950, pages 250, 272-274 and 590.

Bennett: The Chemical Formulary, vol. 6, Chem. Pub. Co., Inc. (1943). Page 181 relied on.

Remington: Practice of Pharmacy, 11th Edition, February 9, 1956 (page 564, last full sentence under Chlorinated Lime).

National Institute of Drycleaning, News Release, Mothers Woes May Double With Juniors Use of Ball Point Pens, Received February 6, 1957, l Page.

American Dyestutf Reporter, March 30, 1953, pp. 1 -1 205.

The Technology of Solvents and Plasticizers, Arthur K. Doolittle, 1954, pages 685, 688, 707 and 708. 

1. MATERIAL FOR ERADICATING BALL POINT INK FROM PAPER CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING THREE INGREDIENTS; AN ACID WHICH WILL NOT APPRECIABLY HARM THE PAPER, A GREASE SOLVENT AND A BLEACH, ALL IN LIQUID FORM, THE BLEACH FOR THE PURPOSE BEING APPLICABLE SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACID. 